


Au Revoir (Prologue)

by HelloMrBlue



Series: The Bullet Chamber Case [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, English is hard, F/M, Gen, Kudos to all the pro fic writers out there, Not Suicide fics here, Other, Post-Game(s), Prologue, This took a week to complete, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-08 06:05:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16423841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloMrBlue/pseuds/HelloMrBlue
Summary: A letter. His phone. A promise to end everything.Haru Okumura started crying while reading that piece of paper. Why is he gone? Where did he go?Many questions. What's the real answer?





	Au Revoir (Prologue)

_Dear **Haru** ,_

_By the time you read this letter, I will be long gone to end this debacle between them and me._

_Where I am going? I can’t say._

_The reason? Don’t know for sure._

_Who are they? I still don’t know their true forms yet._

_Besides, you must be certain of one thing. I still love you. I still think of you. But most of all, I still want to be at your side._

_That leads me to one of the favors I’ve ask of you, and this one is something may or may not the worst of things I say to myself…_ _Don’t tell anyone of this._

_Don’t tell **Makoto** , who I know would be the first person of calling for help. Don’t tell **Ann** and **Ryuji** , who I know they stop everything in their tracks and begin searching for me. Don’t tell **Futaba** and **Yusuke** , **specifically Futaba**. She’s gonna go crazy and you know how focused Futaba gets when something isn’t right within her world. And that includes both of us._

_Right now, I must go alone; I must make them realize the truth of each person they hurt. They are not **Shido** , they are not ~~Yaldabaoth~~ , and to be sure, they aren’t shadows this time. _

_That’s why I need to ask the hardest thing to you:_

_Wait for me._

_Because I still need to get home and sleep beside you, to watch you in your dreams. To make sure each morning is worth getting up and go to the cafe._

_Wait for me._

_Because everything will be a lot easier once they’re gone. I need to get this weight off of my shoulder and it’s not fair if you or any of us pays the price for doing it._

_I know that the first thing I’m getting out of this is gonna be a smack on my face from your sweet and caring hand. To be fair, I’m feeling the pain right now but it's a little pain I can stand for._

_Remember that my love will always grow by your side, no matter the weather, no matter the pain. My love is yours, Haru. Will always be._

_Don’t worry. Every time I closed my eyes, I see you right beside me._

_I know for sure everything will be alright once this is over._

_Wait for me, because I’ll be back sooner than expected._

**Au revoir ma Tulipe rouge.**

                                                                                                                                                   **Joker**

 

* * *

 

 

It wasn’t even noon on a cloudy Sunday when her tears started to fell down to the piece of paper below. Besides her, the cellphone of the one called Joker, leader of the Phantom Thieves.

The silence in the bedroom was so tight even between the sobs of an auburn fluffy hair girl who started questioning the many “why’s” passing through her. Even after those many battles years ago, Ren and Haru’s relationship had witness a steady stream of good and bad days.

But this? This broke everything they have been working for **_Cafe NOIR_**.

The long nights of tasting coffee, the _–sometimes, troublesome–_ talks with the Okumura Foods board, the deep sessions of therapy between all the phantoms, and those remarkably pointed to Ren, who after all was the most affected. Even if that last statement wasn’t in sight of everyone around him.

Just as Haru’s thoughts started to become the reasons for crying right there in their bedroom, a sudden realization came to her.

“Akira breaking a promise? He’s not my little ´kitten´. This is something really bad if he wanted me to not get involved.”

Haru fully realized in that instant that lately, Akira went strange in many things of his personality.

In the aftermath of the “Phantom Thieves Case”, most of the young boys and girls that stopped the God of Control from slaving humanity to a life full of sloth recognized something: Their mental health wasn’t the same anymore.

Most of them recognize the signs when nightmares and insomnia made them kick out of bed, along with shadows in between people on a day-to-day basis.

Therapy made his job quite good, pills in the mix for some of them to leading a good recovering phase. Sessions about the shadows or Personas they found in Mementos, the talks about every time the thought of dying that fateful Christmas eve and, in the case of Futaba –a prodigious hacker who went far and beyond and asked the phantoms herself to steal her heart– a way to end the remaining bits of grief over her mother’s assassination.

For Ren “Akira” Amamiya, this wasn’t the case. Not only he tried to dealing with the results after Christmas Eve, but also, he tried to deal with the fact that besides the PERSONAS, Shido, the phantoms and his probation, that was still a lingering shadow of a doubt: “What If I saved Akechi?”

Therapy couldn’t deal enough with his panic attacks. The pills couldn’t let him get a good night sleep with vivid nightmares that make him more serious about extra work after college just to not get to bed. The constant drift looks and mood changes by the day were more and more chaotic.

Even Haru tried taking Ren to alternative methods, who would work for a while, only to make him crash soon after they stopped.

Finally, after a couple of years and some medication, Ren could function like a normal person. But lately, those same symptoms came around, just for Ren to decide not to tell Haru. After all, they were back with a reason, one that make him fully understand why therapy didn’t get into the root of the problem.

Haru knew after all.

While some of the sessions were about looking for passing over the sense of dying and for finding peace of mind, Ren find out that the sacrifice of Akechi on that day on Shido’s cruse was on his mind. Everything went haywire as soon the therapist confronted Ren about that in their last session a few weeks ago.

A rage on his eyes that showed Joker was still on his life.

“He needed a friend. He needed someone to help him. HE NEEDED REVENGE!”

That’s the word that snapped Haru to reality, revenge.

“But why revenge? He isn’t the one to take revenge for himself. Or maybe… OH NO!”

Faster than a speeding bullet, she took her phone. While Aki-kun wanted her not to call or tell anybody about the details of the letter –and to Haru’s mind, what Ren was going to do to somebody–, she knew that breaking that promise was unavoidable and someone else would say the same thing that was on her mind.

Shaking as choose the number and hit the CALL button on screen, she couldn’t wait for the call to connect.

“Come on. Come on. Come on.”

Then, it clicked. And Haru went full force, even without thinking what to say.

_“Hello?”_

“Mako-chan! I need to see you right now! Where are you?”

_“Haru? Wait, what do you need me for?”_

“MAKOTO! I NEED TO SEE YOU RIGHT NOW! I’M SENDING YOU MY DRIVER, JUST TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE! I NEED TO TALK. I NEED TO SAY SOMETHING. I NEED… I NEED…”

               _“Noir. Calm down.”_

It was in this moment, while holding her own tears that Haru stopped. She knew that in the other side of the line there wasn’t any Makoto. There was only Queen, the Second-In-Command of the Thieves. And she knew that enabling her rage would be the worst right now.

               _“Now take a deep breath and tell me what’s happened.”_

“I’m sorry. Is just… Everything fell down on me. I can’t take it anymore.”

               _“Take it easy, Haru. Just breathe and tell me. Is Ren over there? I thought he would be at your side if you have any panic attacks whatsoever.”_

Letting out a deep breath, she said that she feared the most.

“That’s the thing. He’s… He’s gone, Mako-chan. And I don’t know where he is.”

After a brief silence, just one thing came out on Makoto’s side.

**_“WHAT?!”_ **

* * *

  **Hours earlier…**

* * *

 

Shibuya looked more like a ghost town than one of the busiest districts in Tokyo. While normally their streets would be flooded with salaryman, tourists and people of all around the city, this time was empty, obviously, because it was Sunday and almost 6 am.

But there was still a little bit of life between their streets. In the back of an alleyway, right inside of the Airsoft shop “Untouchable”, two people were having a conversation that resonates through the shop’s walls.

“You sure want to do this, kid?” asked the seated lanky man behind the counter, with a toothpick on his mouth and a gecko tattoo on the left side of his neck.

“If I wasn’t going to do it, I wouldn’t be here. Right?” said the young man, standing right beside him while putting a pair of red motorcycle gloves.

“You need to realize something. This is the real deal, not some of your mumbo jumbo from years ago. If I didn’t use my old family, those days in the can…oh boy.” That last phrase sent shivers down his spine, certainly make him almost fell off the chair he was sitting on.

“Remembering old days, **Iwai**? Don’t worry; I’m still grateful about what you did back in the day. But still… I need to do this. I know that this is very different than been a phantom thief but if I do nothing, they will win.” the young man let out a deep breath just before the store-owner stand up and look directly to his steel eyes and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t make me remind of that. I’m not joking, **Ren**. This is the real deal. You may want this for a long time and you got the look on your face, but face it kiddo’, you are not ready for this job.”

“I know. But as you said, I wanted this. I need to say it: You got what I asked?”

Letting out a deep sigh, Iwai finally let go of Ren.

“Once this comes back to bite you, you can’t let go of the scars. You got that?”

Ren nodded. And while keeping a stubborn look over him, Iwai went to the back of the store. Right through his office and in the main safe, just after putting the combination, Iwai took out a small white briefcase. Not as large but neither as small. Just in the right size of a gun and some bullets.

Coming back to the front, Iwai looked over the boy, now with a black and red motorcycle suit and boots, preparing to leave looking over some of the new additions to the store, including a new MRE machine.

“This is it. Just what you wanted. That includes the barrel, the trigger and the rounds.”

Iwai put the briefcase over the counter, but just as the young-one was going to take it, Iwai took his hand and asked one more time:

“Last chance, kid. I don’t saying you want to follow my steps, but you know there’s other way for make them lose. No guns allowed. I’m gonna say it again: You sure you want to do this?”

The boy took out Iwai’s hand. Took the briefcase and after a loud sigh exclaim:

“I going to do this Iwai. Regardless of what you said, I’m not doing this for me. This is for somebody else. I know that if he were still alive, he would do the same for me. You know I pay my debts, right?”

“Alright, alright. Not need to get soft on me. Just remember: If this gets back to me, I don’t know you at all. Got it?”

“Sure. Besides… who would suspect of a single shop who sells gun replicas?”

“This ain’t **Akiha** , kiddo. I don’t wanna see you until the coast gets clear like seeing me on a mirror.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry. If all goes right, I may not even use this.” Said the boy while pointing to the briefcase.

“One thing I learned all this years is that no gun gets unused. Doesn’t matter if is a replica or a real gun. No one of these things gets out without shooting at least once.”

Iwai finished his sentence, but suddenly a yellow glint covered the boy’s eyes.

“Enough of this, Iwai. I know what I’m doing. This time, there’s not magic at all, I got that. There’s no fake death and not stylish moves. I know that this is, and if you try to change that…”

“Easy. Easy. I just trying to get the best for both of us. Jesus, kid. Don’t try to murder me here.”

“Sorry, I got carried away.”

A brief silence happen just before the alarm on the boy’s flip phone went off.

“Huh. Is 6 am already?”

“Time flies while you take part in a conspiracy.”

They both shared a little chuckled at the joke. But suddenly the idea hit them both; it was time to part ways and keep on with the day.

“Hey Iwai… Thanks. For everything.”

“I don’t like the credit, too much exposure, but sure. No problem. Just try not to get shot, alright?”

“No promises. But I keep that on my mind. Time to set up shop?”

“This early? First you got me out of bed to give you this and now you want me to work? Damn Ren, this thing goin’ on really make you crazy!”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny. Have to go, Iwai. And really, thanks.”

“Just make sure to come back. I may be old but I still cared. And also Kaoru wouldn’t want to get his best friend in the hospital.”

“Sure. Sure. Nice to see you, Iwai.”

“Same, kid.”

Ren went through the front door, briefcase in hand. Once the door closed, Iwai only got one thing to say to himself:

“If there’s a god... I hope he goes easy on him, dammit.”

 

* * *

 

* * *

 

Outside of the store, the sun was trying to get out of the cloudy skies. While walking, Ren asked himself If Haru had found the letter by this time.

“I suppose that leaving my actual phone behind was the best thing. Is better for Futaba to not track me down.” Thought to himself.

Getting close to the opposite alleyway, a simple motorcycle with black and red tints was ready to ride on. Ren remembered the driving lessons by Makoto back on the day and hoped she didn’t decided to conduct a national search for him.

“Well, let’s hope Haru can keep that promise.”

**_“You know, trickster. To realize such a defiant act against your loved one and your peers, requires more than courage._ **

**_Why embark into a travel of pure revenge?”_ **

“Calm down, **Arsene**. I’m happy you came back and to be sincere, it’s the best time to act. So, until we got this, you coming with me.”

_“ **Oh, trickster. My wings will always be with you. But ask this… Will be worth leaving all to the greatest gamble of all?”**_

Ren stopped beside the motorcycle and said:

“Of course it will. It happened once, why not doing it twice?”

**_“A question for an answer? HA HA HA TRICKSTER! WE BETTER HOPE THIS NEW ACT IS THE ONE THAT MAKES OUR AUDIENCE TO THROW THEIR ROSES TO US!”_ **

Ren finally put his helmet on, put the briefcase inside the little trunk and with the little energy left to stand on the alleyway; took out his old flip phone and force himself to write a new message to 4 different contacts:

_“PACK IS SECURED. G2G. MEET RV POINT. Y / N?”_

It didn’t take many minutes after he hit **SEND** for the replies.

_“ **10** -4"_

_"sudo apt-get install **updated.tar** ”_

_“clr **H20**!”_

_“ **PROSECUTION** TAKES THE STAND”_

 

Headphones on, [“See You Again”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGgcC5xg9YI) playing out inside his helmet.

**“Well, break time is over.”**

Ren started his cycle and rode over the empty streets of Tokyo. The sounds of the engine flooding each part of the road until he disappear.

 

 

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note:**

> By the time I'm posting this,I'll be 24 years old. So... Happy birthday to me. This is something I always asked myself soon after my NG+ and Platinum round of P5. It was only Shido involved in Yaldabaoth's plan? Where was at the end most of the metaverse investigation, where those five VIPs the only real VIPs,how much damage besides slaving the world did they make,etc,etc. 
> 
> I'm not doing this for the hits or the kudos,I'm doing this mainly because the idea popped out of my mind and I need to vent it out while still fresh.
> 
> Also, I needed a side project besides NaNoWriMo to relax a little bit but obviously this will be a big challenge. After all,english is not my primary language right now but I need to get more comfortable and upgrade my lexicon. (Whoa,that last part was a little bit pretentious,sorry)
> 
> So,this is gonna take a lot of work but I'll make it quick and mostly good for everyone. Once again,english isn't my first language so making each fic and chapter is gonna be hard but worthy.
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'll be doing my best effort since this is my first fic ever.


End file.
